


Wandering Thoughts and Peaceful Emotions

by LyriaBlackFrost



Series: RyuKita Week 2019 [6]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Blood and Injury, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Rejection, Ryukita Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 12:17:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17622233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Yusuke was good at representing human emotions in his art, but dealing with them in his own life proved to be a difficult task, especially when he was unable to comprehend how he felt toward his closest friend.RyuKita Week Day 6: Desire





	Wandering Thoughts and Peaceful Emotions

**Author's Note:**

> This will be my last fic for this fanweek, but I'll write more RyuKita in the future, since I LOVED doing it. ♥
> 
> I hope you like it! :)

Yusuke pretended not to notice it at first, but since he mentioned how people avoided him at school, Ryuji started to frequently invite him to spend time together.

It hadn’t been his intention to make the group feel sorry for him, but it only crossed his mind later that, maybe, that was how it sounded like. He tried to explain it to Ryuji, but his words only made him shrug.

“I need to feel sorry for us to spend time together?”

Yusuke couldn’t find an answer to that, so he simply accepted the invitation. The first time, they only went to eat beef bowls together, and, despite a few awkward silences, it went quite well — especially since he got to eat for free. But it didn’t end there, and, the next time Ryuji invited him, he asked if there was a place Yusuke wanted to visit.

“Not in particular,” he said.

“Really?”

Ryuji looked away, pensive.

“Well… Fine,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll choose again today, but you better think of somewhere you wanna go next time.”

So, Yusuke did. Less than a week later, he invited Ryuji to accompany him to an art exhibition he was interested in visiting. However, as soon as they got there, it crossed his mind that, unlike him, Ryuji certainly wasn’t interested in art, and the way he silently followed Yusuke around only confirmed that.

“Are you bored?”

He asked that question before he could hold it back, making Ryuji look at him.

“Ah, no!” he answered, averting his eyes. “I just…”

Ryuji placed a hand on the side of his neck, lightly twisting his lips.

“I don’t know shit about all this art stuff,” he said. “I just don’t wanna go and say somethin’ stupid.”

“You shouldn’t worry so much about it,” said Yusuke. “Art is mostly interpretative. The intent of the artist is only part of it’s meaning, the rest is what you feel when you look at it.”

“Okay…”

He still looked uncertain, but Yusuke chose not to insist on the subject. They kept walking in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, and Yusuke was starting to consider leaving and coming back alone another day.

“Hey, Yusuke…” Ryuji grabbed his arm, calling his attention. “Look! It’s me!”

Yusuke looked at the work he was indicating, which portrayed a man in a captain garment, steering a ship in a storm. The silly comparison made him chuckle.

“Seems like it,” he said.

“I hope there’s a fox somewhere too.”

They kept walking, sharing their views on the paintings, which couldn’t be farther from each other. However, if anything, it was interesting to hear the thoughts of someone else — especially someone so different from himself.

At the end of the day, they didn’t find only one, but four different foxes, and Ryuji’s excitement upon seeing them was quite endearing: he didn’t know anything about famous names, or hidden meanings, but he still tried to join Yusuke in his interests — something which he quietly appreciated.

Despite everything, it was a pleasant day.

 

* * *

  

After that, their meetings became more frequent. As they got used to each other’s presence, those awkward silences were soon replaced by pleasant ones, as well as casual conversations and subtle gestures of fondness. Despite their too many differences, Ryuji went along with his eccentricities, and, in a way, Yusuke did the same with his. Not only that, but they also learned to seek each other when bad thoughts and memories became too much to bear alone. They shared their time, their laughter, and their pain… Something Yusuke never thought he’d come to do with another person.

As the months passed, he found it difficult to remember a time when Ryuji wasn’t such a prominent part of his life, and just to think of it saddened him a little: it wasn’t something he wanted to lose.

“Hey, Yusuke…” said his friend, as they walked the streets of Shibuya after class. “There’s somethin’ I wanted to tell you.”

Yusuke noticed something strange in his expression, close to nervousness. It worried him.

“What is it?” he asked.

Ryuji hesitated a little before answering, kicking the ground without even noticing.

“Where do I even begin?” he said. “Y’know… All the time we spent together… It became something really important to me. I can’t stop thinkin’ about you, and kinda keep lookin’ forward to when we’ll see each other again.”

He made a pause, taking a deep breath before looking into Yusuke’s eyes.

“I like you,” he said. “And I mean it, like… I wanna kiss you, and hold your hand, and all that mushy romantic stuff… I really like you, more than as a friend.”

Yusuke simply stared at him for a long time, unable to react. Despite their closeness, he never stopped to think about their relationship as anything but that… _Close friends_. It never crossed his mind that they could be anything different. Of course, he was quite fond of Ryuji, but… He wasn’t sure it was the same feeling.

Ryuji watched him in nervous expectation, and there was a faint pain in Yusuke’s chest as he answered.

“I’m sorry.”

He couldn’t tell how he expected Ryuji to react to those words, but his friend simply offered him a light, understanding smile.

“C’mon, you don’t have to apologize,” he said. “It’s okay. I kinda expected it already, but I wanted to tell you anyway.”

Yusuke simply nodded in response, and Ryuji averted his gaze, bitting the inside of his lip.

“So…” he proceeded, keeping both his voice and eyes low. “Nothing’s gonna change, right?”

“No,” answered Yusuke. “I don’t see why it would.”

Ryuji sighed, relieved.

“Good…” he said, offering Yusuke a wide smile. “Hey, wanna go grab somethin’ to eat?”

“I believe I should go back for today.”

It wasn’t like Yusuke didn’t want to spend more time with Ryuji, but those unexpected words were still floating on his mind, and he needed some time to think about them. However, his answer made Ryuji’s face be taken by an almost pained expression.

“Ah, yeah…” he said, avoiding Yusuke’s eyes. “Of course.”

He smiled again, but something about it didn’t feel natural.

“Well, I still have something to take care of around here, so you can go on ahead.”

Saying that, he started to move away from Yusuke, offering him a brief wave before turning around.

“Talk to you later!” he said.

Before Yusuke could answer, Ryuji walked away with quick steps. For a moment, he simply stayed there, wondering if that strange expression had been his imagination.

He highly doubted it.

Without anything else he could do, he chose to take the train back to his dormitory, still unable to take Ryuji’s words out of his mind.

 

* * *

 

Ryuji said things wouldn’t change, and they really didn’t. He still messaged him frequently, and would stay close to him whenever the Phantom Thieves met. The only difference was that, now, whenever they went out together, there was always someone else with them, be it Akira, or Ann, or any other of their friends. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but Yusuke couldn’t help but feel bothered by it.

He missed his time with Ryuji.

Part of him wanted to let him know how he felt, but, at the same time, he feared his words would convey the wrong meaning. It had been almost two weeks since that day, and he still hadn’t found an answer to how he felt about his friend… He knew it was strong, and he knew that, in some way, it was different from what he felt toward any of his other companions.

Still, it seemed wrong to simply assume those feelings were romantic. Not that he had any previous comparison to make sure, but the _love_ depicted in movies, books, and even paintings seemed… Different. More bright, and colorful, and stunning… Something that was supposed to fill your mind and numb your senses, shaking your very core with anticipation and desire. That was the image of love he was used to seeing, and the one he always believed to be the truth.

Instead, if he had to name his feelings toward Ryuji, he would probably describe them as _peaceful_. He didn’t feel that overwhelming excitement, but he had the impression time ran faster when they were together. He didn’t feel an uncontrollable desire, but he still enjoyed that proximity, including all those small, unnecessary touches they shared. He wanted to see him, to be close to him… To hear his voice, to feel his gentle warmth, to know there was something beautiful that bonded the two of them…

Something he still wasn’t able to name.

Because Yusuke was great at expressing himself through sketches, and paintings, and art in general. He knew the meanings of colors, and how to portray different emotions through different symbolisms. According to many, he was a prodigy — someone unlike any other boy his age.

But Ryuji… Ryuji had a different way of doing it: he was loud, and he didn’t think before speaking, and he ran his mouth, and he easily lost his temper… And still, he always found a way to express his feelings in the most simple and honest ways.

Yusuke envied him for it… But also loved him for that same reason.

 _Love_ … Was that right? Was that how he really felt?

Yusuke let out a long, tired sigh, silently cursing Madarame for isolating him from the world and other people during all those years, making it so difficult for him to understand something as simple — and important — as human emotions.

 

* * *

 

The Phantom Thieves gathered at the Leblanc that afternoon, so they could infiltrate Futaba Sakura’s palace. The tomb she created to herself proved to be an exhausting maze, and, after hours of exploration, the group decided to take a quick break in a safe room. It was clear from everyone’s faces that they were close to their limits… However, all of them were willing to do whatever they could to help Sojiro’s daughter free herself from her own feelings of guilt. Despite not saying it aloud, they all agreed that, the sooner they stole her heart, the better.

“We’re almost out of healing items,” informed Makoto.

“My magic is also dried up…” said Morgana. “We’ll need to be extra careful, and avoid unnecessary battles if we want to reach the treasure in one piece.”

The others agreed, and they spent some time discussing their next moves. Yusuke paid attention to Morgana’s words, until something else grabbed his attention — or, more specifically, his tail. He looked to the side, only to see Ryuji absentmindedly playing with it.

“May I ask what you are doing?”

Ryuji looked at him, showing a light smile.

“Your tail is so fluffy,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

That answer made Akira giggle.

“Just accept it, Fox… He said the same thing about my hair once, and I’ve known no peace since then.”

Ryuji glared at him with a small pout.

“I just like fluffy things, okay?” he said. “It’s not my fault that your hair is like a kitten.”

“Really?” asked Ann, suddenly interested. “Let me feel it!”

She reached for Akira’s head, and that was enough to call the attention from both Morgana and Makoto.

“Hey, focus!” she said.

The rest of them immediately stopped, looking at her in silent embarrassment.

“My bad…” muttered Ryuji, turning his eyes to the floor, like a child after being scolded by their parent.

They resumed the discussion, however, Yusuke couldn’t help but watch Ryuji through the corner of his eyes. Those spontaneous actions of his were quite endearing, enough to make Yusuke feel a pleasant warmth in his chest.

Yes… The more he thought about it, the more his feelings for Ryuji seemed to go beyond a strong friendship. He liked everything about Ryuji, or rather, he liked him as a whole, despite his many flaws.

He wanted to say that to Ryuji… When they got back to the real world, that would be the first thing he would do. Thinking about that subject on his own proved to be fruitless, after all, and, if anything, talking to his friend could help him better understand his own emotions.

“Alright,” said Akira, indicating the end of that discussion, “let’s move on and finish this as fast as we can.”

They left the safe room, going further into that tomb, solving some weird puzzles and avoiding battles as they could. It seemed everything would go according to plan, at least until they were ambushed by a small group of shadows as they moved back to the main stairway. They could barely react before being hit by a wave of heavy physical attacks that knocked over half of the group. Akira, Ann, and Ryuji managed to stay on their feet, fighting back as the other three recovered from the strike. With the six of them together, the battle ended quickly.

“Is everyone alright?” asked Makoto.

“Not so much,” said Akira with a grimace, looking at a deep cut in his forearm, which was bleeding profusely. “Shit, this hurts…”

“Me too,” agreed Ann, a pained groan leaving her lips. “I feel like I broke a rib.”

Makoto searched their bag for items, and they shared their last life stones, soon looking much better than before.

“Let’s go back before more of them come!” said Morgana.

The group agreed, running back to the stairway. Yusuke did the same, until he noticed Ryuji wasn’t accompanying them. He looked over his shoulder, seeing his friend limping in their direction, pressing the side of his body with a hand.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, concerned.

“No, I’m fine,” Ryuji offered him a reassuring smile. “But I think this’ll turn into an ugly bruise tomorrow…”

“Do you need help to move?”

Yusuke reached for Ryuji’s arm, but his friend moved it away.

“No, it’s okay,” he said. “Let’s keep going.”

They reached the door, crossing to the other side, seeing that another of those gates had been opened for them, revealing more steps and a final door.

“The treasure must be just behind that door…” said Morgana. “Do you guys think you can keep going?”

“I can,” said Makoto.

“Me too,” agreed Akira.

“I’m drained, but as long as we don’t need to keep fighting…” said Ann.

“I agree,” said Yusuke.

There was a brief silence before they turned to face Ryuji, who had his back against the wall and eyes closed.

“Skull?” called Yusuke. “Are you alright?”

His voice made Ryuji jump a little, and, noticing their eyes upon him, he forced a cheerful smile.

“Yeah…!” he said. “Let’s go find that treasure!”

“Are you really alright?” Ann narrowed her eyes, suspicious. “You’re looking pale.”

“I’m just… tired. No big deal.”

His pained face and heavy breathing said the contrary. Yusuke was about to insist on that question when Akira’s startled voice called their attention.

“Is that blood?”

Yusuke followed his gaze, seeing a long, thin trail of blood dripping from Ryuji’s foot. Ryuji looked down at it, and his expression was surprised as well.

“That’s—”

His voice cracked, giving place to a small groan. Yusuke noticed Ryuji’s hand still pressing the side of his body, his yellow glove now covered in dark red. He hadn’t noticed it before because of his dark clothes, but the whole right side of his body below his waist was drenched. Yusuke felt his heart skip a beat.

“Ryuji…?”

Ryuji opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out of it. His eyes lost focus, and his body slowly started to fall to the side.

“Ryuji!”

Yusuke managed to grab Ryuji before he fell down the stairs, sitting in one of those steps, holding him against his chest. Akira crouched beside them with a worried expression.

“He’s injured!” yelled Akira, examining that deep cut just below his ribcage. “Can anyone heal him?”

Ann covered her mouth with both hands.

“Oh my God…” she said. “We just used the last healing items!”

“And I can’t use my magic!” said Morgana. “What are we going to do?”

A silent wave of panic took the group, as they looked at each other, unable to answer that question.

“Let me pass,” asked Makoto with an urgent tone. “I think I can help.”

She crouched beside Ryuji, placing a hand over his wound and closing her eyes, concentrating as she used her last drop of magic to cast Diarama on her companion. The wound didn’t close completely, but it was enough to stop the bleeding and accelerate the healing process. She let out a relieved sigh, and the feeling was shared by her companions.

“We need to take him out of here,” she said. “If that wound opens again, we won’t be able to heal it.”

“You’re right,” agreed Akira.

He looked at his friend for a moment, then carefully placed Ryuji’s arms around his neck, carrying him on his back. Makoto stayed by his side, to make sure he didn’t lose his balance in that long way down. Ann soon did the same, keeping a hand close to Ryuji’s back.

For a moment, Yusuke was unable to move, or even think, his eyes still on those red stains. _Could a human survive after losing so much blood?_

“Fox?”

Morgana’s worried voice brought him back to reality. He took a deep breath, trying to keep those thoughts out of his mind.

“Let’s move,” he said.

They reached the entrance of that palace, going back to the real world, outside the Leblanc.

“What should we do now?” asked Ann.

“I know a doctor nearby,” said Akira. “We can trust her.”

They did as Akira suggested, taking Ryuji to Tae Takemi’s small clinic. She agreed to help right away, and Akira followed her to the back room with Ryuji, while the others waited by the reception. What seemed to be long hours passed before the doctor opened the door, being received by countless concerned gazes.

“Don’t worry, he’s not in danger,” she reassured them with a light, calm smile. “If anything, it seems more like a case of anemia. He should be ready to go after finishing that blood bag.”

“So, he’ll be fine?” asked Ann.

“Yes, of course,” agreed Tae. “Still, children like you should be more careful when playing Phantoms… There’s only so much I can do as a doctor.”

The group exchanged glances at that casual implication, but Tae didn’t insist on the subject.

“Can we see him?” asked Yusuke.

Tae considered it for a moment, then agreed with a light shrug.

“It’ll be a little crowded,” she said. “Well, I’ll be here. Call me if anything happens.”

They entered the back room one after the other. Akira was sitting in a chair beside Ryuji’s bed, and the sound made him turn his face to them.

“He’ll be fine,” he said with a light, relieved smile.

Yusuke approached the bed, placing a hand over Ryuji’s, noticing that his face had regained some color. Behind him, the group questioned Akira about Tae’s apparent knowledge of their secret identities, but Yusuke couldn’t pay less attention to it. Some time passed like that, until a light groan from Ryuji made Yusuke lean over him, examining his face as he woke up.

“Ryuji!”

His movement and voice called the attention of the others, who quickly grouped around the bed. Ryuji slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times, a little confused.

“Hey, Ryuji!” called Akira. “Are you alright?”

“Akira…?”

Ryuji’s eyes turned to his friend, who sighed, a relieved smile taking his face.

“Damn, you bastard…” he said. “Don’t fucking scare us like that!”

Ryuji furrowed his brow at those words.

“What happened?”

“What happened?” repeated Akira in disbelief. “You—”

“Why did you do that?”

Yusuke’s loud voice made all the eyes turn to him. Now that Ryuji was awake, his worry gave place to a wave of anger he wasn’t able to keep inside himself.

“Why did you hide it from us?” he proceeded. ”Do you have any idea of how worried we were, seeing you bleeding out like that? Why didn’t you tell us you were injured?”

“Yusuke…!” whispered Morgana from Akira’s bag. “Not so loud!”

He ignored the cat’s words, staring at Ryuji, who didn’t react for a moment, clearly surprised by his change of tone.

“I…” Ryuji averted his eyes. “I didn’t think it was that bad…”

“You could have died!”

Ryuji seemed to shrink into the bed, and part of Yusuke felt guilty for raising his voice at him.

“Sorry…” muttered Ryuji.

Before Yusuke could answer, Makoto placed a hand on his shoulder, carefully moving him away from the bed.

“Yusuke, calm down,” she said in a gentle, but firm voice. “What matters is that he’s fine now. Let’s not fight over it, alright?”

He let out his breath, answering with a brief nod, leaning his back against the wall. Ann soon took his place close to Ryuji.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, placing a hand on his head, caressing his hair.

“I’m fine,” he said.

“Really?”

“Just a little tired, I guess.”

“Well, you lost a lot of blood,” said Makoto. “It would be better to rest for a few days… Maybe you should even skip class tomorrow.”

“Can’t believe I’m hearing _you_ say that,” said Akira in a playful tone, then turned his attention back to his friend. “If it’s bad for you to move, you can spend the night in my room. I’ll even let you take the bed.”

He offered Ryuji a smile, which he soon returned.

“Thanks, man,” he said. “But I should go home. My mom’ll be worried if I’m too late.”

“You shouldn’t make any unnecessary efforts,” reminded Makoto. “What if your wound opens again?”

“I’ll go _really_ slow.”

Yusuke took a deep breath before speaking.

“I’ll accompany him to his house.”

Ryuji stared at him, clearly surprised by the statement.

“You don’t have to—”

“I _am_ doing it,” he insisted without changing his tone.

Ryuji closed his mouth, looking away again.

“Okay,” he muttered.

They left the clinic just a while later, and Akira accompanied them to the station, where they went their separate ways. Yusuke walked close to Ryuji, avoiding looking in his direction, not saying any word.

“Yusuke…” said Ryuji after some long, silent minutes. “I know you’re mad at me, but—”

For some reason, those few words were enough to make something burn inside Yusuke again.

“I’m not mad!” he said in a loud voice. “I was terrified! Can you even imagine how I felt when you collapsed like that, and I realized you were soaked in blood? I thought you were going to die in front of me!”

Ryuji flinched a little.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. “I just… Didn’t wanna hold everyone back.”

“You were wounded!”

“I know!” he raised his voice as well. “But I didn’t think it was that bad. I thought it was just a scratch, and that I could keep going, ‘cause…”

He stopped talking, lowering his eyes.

“Because…?” repeated Yusuke.

Ryuji gritted his teeth before answering.

“’Cause that’s all I can do!” he said. “I’m not smart, or have anything special… I can just hit things and endure pain. If I don’t do even that, I’ll just be a burden to you!”

He looked at the floor, hugging his own arms. Yusuke watched him for a while, clicking his tongue as he also looked away.

“You really _are_ a fool,” he said.

“Yeah… I just made things worse in the—.”

“That’s not what I meant,” interrupted Yusuke. “You’re not a burden to our group, and you shouldn’t be so reckless about yourself either,” he made a brief pause, lowering his voice. “You don’t understand… We were all so scared of losing you.”

Yusuke’s voice started trembling, so he stopped talking, closing his eyes. He heard Ryuji shifting beside him before he heard his voice.

“I didn’t mean to—”

Ryuji’s phrase was cut by the sound of the train approaching. Both became silent, entering that now almost empty vehicle, sitting side by side. Neither spoke for a long while, until Yusuke finally managed to organize his thoughts, breaking the silence.

“I should apologize to you,” he said.

“Why?”

“Earlier, I yelled at you, and blamed you for what happened,” he explained. “I know it wasn’t right of me.”

Ryuji nodded, but Yusuke felt like that wasn’t enough. There was still a heavy, painful feeling in his chest, and he had to let it out somehow.

“I thought you were going to die,” he proceeded. “And it scared me so much, I didn’t know what to do. When you woke up, I… All those things simply came out of my mouth, and I couldn’t stop it.”

He briefly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. When he proceeded, his voice was close to a mutter.

“I honestly don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”

Ryuji watched him for a while, as if searching for an answer, but unable to find one. Silence fell upon them again, lingering until they reached the station, disembarking, slowly walking the streets that led to Ryuji’s house.

“Hey…” said Ryuji after a while. “My head’s kinda fuzzy.”

Yusuke reached for his arm, carefully holding it to make sure he wouldn’t lose his balance.

“We should sit down for a minute,” he said.

He helped Ryuji walk to a bus stop on the other side of the street, where they sat side by side. Ryuji lowered his head, resting it on both hands, and Yusuke placed a hand on his back, leaning in his direction so he could see his face.

“Are you feeling unwell?” he asked. “Should I call someone for help?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Yusuke didn’t insist, carefully pulling Ryuji in his direction, so he could rest better against him. That action, however, made his body tense up, and he quickly moved away.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said.

“But I want to help.”

Yusuke tried to reach for him again, but Ryuji moved his hand away, sighing in frustration.

“Just stop it!”

A little startled by his elevated tone, Yusuke did as he said. Small touches had always been something common between them, so he wasn’t expecting a reaction like that. Noticing his surprise, Ryuji lowered his eyes, a shadow of guilt in his face.

“I can walk on my own,” he said in a low voice. “You should go back while we’re still close to the station.”

“That’s foolish,” answered Yusuke. “What if you collapse on your way back?”

“I won’t.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“Yusuke… Please, just go back.”

“I can’t do that.”

Ryuji took a deep breath, seeming exhausted.

“Look…” he said. “I know I said things are fine, and that nothing would change… But it still hurts, okay? I know you’re worried, but… I’ll be fine on my own.”

Part of Yusuke wanted to protest, to tell Ryuji how absurd his request sounded, but, before he could, those pieces finally got together in his head. So, instead of doing what he wanted, or what Ryuji was asking him, he reached for his hand, holding it.

“I apologize,” he said.

“I said you don’t have to. I just need some—”

“No, not for that,” Yusuke interrupted him. “I didn’t have the chance to tell you before, but, the truth is I have feelings for you as well.”

Ryuji shook his head.

“You’re just saying that ‘cause of what happened.”

He tried to pull his hand back, but Yusuke didn’t let go of it.

“That’s not true,” he insisted. “I’ve been thinking about what you said since that day, and I recently came to this conclusion. I planned to tell you after we left the Metaverse today, but the events didn’t go quite as I expected.”

Those words made Ryuji face Yusuke again.

“You’re lying…” he said.

“I can guarantee that I’m telling you the truth.”

“Why did you reject me, then?”

Despite knowing the answer, Yusuke needed a few seconds to turn it into words.

“I never had romantic feelings for anyone before,” he said. “I wasn’t sure of how I felt, and didn’t want to lie to you.”

“For real…?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re sure of it now?”

“I am.”

A frustrated groan left Ryuji’s lips.

“You could’ve told me that!” he said. “Damn, dude… You made me cry over nothing.”

Yusuke frowned at those words.

“You cried?” he asked.

“Yeah,” said Ryuji, “like a fuckin’ child. Couldn’t even hold it until I got home, just started sobbing in the train with everyone watching… It was pretty pathetic.”

That image made Yusuke’s chest tighten.

“Forgive me,” he said.

“Stop apologizing, okay? It’s really fine.”

Ryuji hesitated a little, then leaned against Yusuke, as he was trying to do minutes before.

“So…” his voice was almost a whisper. “You really like me, right?”

“Very much so.”

A small, happy chuckle left Ryuji’s lips.

“Feels good to hear that.”

His body relaxed next to Yusuke, who hugged his shoulders, bringing him closer. They got comfortable against each other, spending some time like that, in pleasant silence.

“Okay…” said Ryuji, finally moving away. “I think we can keep going now.”

Yusuke held his arm before he could get up from that bench.

“Ryuji…”

Ryuji looked at him, and Yusuke leaned in his direction, giving him a kiss on his forehead. He, then, moved away, looking at his face for a moment, before giving him another, brief one on the lips. He looked into Ryuji’s eyes, caressing his face with a light smile.

“I’m so glad you are here,” he whispered.

Ryuji placed his hand above Yusuke’s, holding it against his cheek for a moment. When he let go of it, it was only to place his arms over Yusuke’s shoulders, pulling him into a hug, resting his face against the crook of his neck. Yusuke soon did the same, feeling a wave of tranquility in his chest.

Yes, even at that moment, his feelings for Ryuji could still be described as _“peaceful”_. However, he was now sure that such feeling was exactly what he needed: that closeness, that warmth… that person. He wanted to be with Ryuji for as long as he could. He wanted it above anything else.

They walked together the rest of the way to Ryuji’s house, side by side, hands lightly touching, enjoying the cool breeze of that pleasant evening.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fic, kudos and comments are highly appreciated! ♥


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